The Girl He Always Knew
by SnapDragonZ
Summary: It has been ten years since he last saw her. What will Rock Lee do when the now nineteen year old Hoteru Akemi comes back into his life and starts the flames that were kindling since childhood? I do not own Naruto or any of the characters, just my OC. Rated M because I don't trust myself for later chapters. Haha. Don't be afraid to leave a review. ;)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

As a child, he had that one friend that treated him like no other. It had been years since he last saw her but not a day went by that Rock Lee didnt think of Hotaru Akemi. Her beautiful green eyes, her shiny deep red hair that flowed just perfectly down her shoulders. They were only nine, but even then, Lee knew he loved her. It crushed him the day they had to say goodbye. "Lee, my dad got a job protecting the Kazekage. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. Promise you'll write?" With tears brimming his eyes, he nodded. They shared their official goodbyes the next morning at the gate. Lee made a scene as he burst into loud obnoxious sobs while clinging onto Hotaru. Hotaru didn't seem to mind as she silently cried while patting Lee on the back, promising to come back someday to see him. With one final hug, Hotaru Akemi and Rock Lee said their goodbyes for the last time.

TEN YEARS LATER...

_Had it really been that long? _A now nineteen year old Kinouchi named Hotaru Akemi thought as she made it through the gate of the hidden leaf village. She hadn't seen her friend Lee since they were kids and in the past couple years the letters and calls seemed to slack off and slowly cease. She knew he was working on becoming a jounin and start leading missions like this Gai Sensei he kept yammering about but that was no reason to slack off on the news, even if it was just a whole bunch of nothing. She wondered if he changed. She knew she definitely changed. She wasn't the girly girl she used to be. Now a days, her standard outfit consisted of black shorts, a gray short sleeved t-shirt and the standard jacket that every chuunin wore. She always kept her red hair back in a simple pony tail. She had grown to a full five foot six. Hotaru studied to be a taijustu master and taught at the school they had at hidden sand village. Summer vacation had just started, so she had time to come back to her hometown and see the boy that made her life there fun.

Hotaru didn't have to look far when a recognizable voice was shouting about "youth" and "life" from the ramen shop about 20 feet from where she was standing. Pushing the curtains away, she walked into the Ichiraku Ramen Shop to see two men dressed alike. From what she saw, they both had a green jumpsuit, their forehead protectors around their waist, same chuunin/jonin jackets and same bowl haircut. But the slightly smaller man sounded so familiar. It was worth a shot. "Rock Lee?" The youthful man turned to face who was saying his name and he got this look of shock and suprise when he saw a much older version of his childhood friend. "H-Hotaru? Is that you?" The childhood friend she remembered shot up and grabbed her before she could even say anything and swung her around like a doll before putting her back down. "I can't believe you are back! I have missed you so much since you left. I want you to meet my sensei, Might Gai. He has taught me so much since I left the academy." A light blush crawled on the kunoichi's face as she shook the hand of the man that taught Lee so much. She couldn't believe how much Lee had changed since they were young. Sure, he was still the emotional goofball he always was, but he was so confident now, so masculine. "Hey Lee, how about I join you for ramen? we could catch up. Your treat." She said with a wink.

The two spent all night talking about the last ten years, what they had done in the past, what they were doing in the present, and what they were planning to do. Hotaru told him about the few boyfriends she had, which sent small twinges of jealousy to Lee's heart and Lee spoke of his brief relationship with a pink haired girl named Sakura, which ended up with them breaking it off mutually after a few weeks. He realized he didn't love her like he thought he did. They both wanted to become world renowned shinobi and be recognized as greats in their villages. Only after the owner told them he was closing up shop did they notice how late it was. "Shit, I forgot how late it was getting. I doubt there's a hotel who'll do checkin this late." Hotaru freaked. Lee grabbed a hold of her and shook her, saying, "It is OK! You can stay at my place. I have plenty of room and I have a pull out couch. Will that be OK with you, Hotaru-san?" The redhead nodded. "Will it be ok with your parents?" Lee smiled sweetly. "Oh, I live alone. But do not worry, the place is clean and ready for any visitors." He said cheerfully, doing his nice guy pose. Hotaru blushed at the thought of being alone in an apartment with Lee. Noticing her embarrassment, Lee suggested that she take his bed and he'd sleep on the couch. She managed to stammer out a thank you as he paid for the ramen and linked his arm with hers like they did as kids. Walking, or rather him practically running as she got pulled behind him, towards Lee's small but livable apartment, Hotaru started reminicing about why she even became friends with this green jumpsuit wearing goofball.

~Flashback~

It was the first day of the academy and the opening ceremony was just ending. There was a large group of people pushing and shoving to get through. Being only six and very small, Hotaru couldn't see which way was up as she tried to get to her dad at the sidelines. "Daddy? Daddy! Where are you? Somebody please help me find my daddy." Too many people were rushing around, not noticing or caring that a little girl was on the verge of tears because she wanted her daddy. When she felt like she'd never find her family again, a gentle hand touched her looked up to find a black haired, bushy eyebrowed little boy about the same age as her. "Are you ok? Do you want me to help you find your daddy?" The strange looking boy said with the sweetest smile. She matched his smile with her own shaky smile and took his hand. They finally found their way out of the crowd. They soon found out they had the same class and would often sit together, sharing secrets and snacks from their lunchboxes. Hotaru's heart was crushed when she found out that her dad got a job working for the Kazekage in the hidden sand village. How would Lee react? How could she live without her best friend? Would she have to find new friends? No matter how hard she tried, nobody could replace Lee. She truly cared for him. Something in her heart told her she may have even loved him.

~End Flashback~

Hotaru glanced at Lee as he fished for his key. He surely grew up into quite a man in the last ten years. "You will love this place, Hotaru. It is small but homey. Ah. Here we go." He inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. He bowed like he had just did a one man rendition of Rent the Musical. Hotaru giggled and looked around. It wasn't huge but it looked like it could fit her and Lee. "Lee, it's perfect." She whispered. Lee blushed, and chuckled. "It is nothing. just an apartment for a single guy. Let me show you around." He said, sweeping his arms around as he gave her the grand tour of the one bedroom one bathroom apartment, smiling that gigantic shiny smile of his. Hotaru wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She suddenly shook her head vigorously, trying to shake the idea out of her head. He was her best friend! She shouldn't be feeling this way towards him. Of course, it was hard to not notice the slight bulge in that god forsaken skin tight body suit of his. Why did he have to wear that of all days? She felt her lady parts throb and wetten slightly at the thought of stripping Lee down and...No no no! He. Is. Your. Best. Friend. No more, no less. Hotaru's face turned redder by the second as more naughty thoughts hit her. She didn't notice Lee staring at her, watching her face getting red, wondering if she was coming down with something. "Hotaru? Are you OK? Hotaru?" Hokaru tried her best to not show arousal or anything out of the ordinary but it wasn't easy with him being so close. There was only one way to squash these feelings. She had been waiting ten years to do this. Hokaru turned to face Lee, stepping close enough to feel his breath on her face, she pressed her lips against his forcefully.

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Dun Dun Dun! Cliffhanger! I'm sorreh but I thought it be a good place to stop. Will Lee return the kiss? Or will his conflicted feelings get in the way? Hmm? ;D Tune in next time. 3


	2. Chapter 2

The kiss sent fireworks coursing through Lee's body, as he slowly wrapped his arms around this girl, no, _woman_. It felt so right to kiss her. But she was his friend. They hadn't seen each other in years, and suddenly they were making out? Lee quickly broke the kiss, stammering something about needing to use the bathroom and quickly disappeared in said bathroom. Hotaru stood there in shock at what she had done. _Why in the hell did I kiss him? What was I thinking?_ She bit her lip, trying not to cry. _I ruined it. I ruined us. _Hotaru choked back a sob before turning around, grabbing the door handle, and running out the door. She had to get out of there before she did something even more stupid.

_Rock Lee POV_

_How could I feel so much in one little kiss? My heart feels like it is in my thoat, my stomach is in knots. Sakura-chan said she felt like this when she had the crush on Sasuke. Is...Am I...? Wait. Was that the door? _I cracked open the bathroom door just a little. I didn't see Hotaru in the living room. Not in the bedroom either. The front door was open slightly. She must have left in a rush. Oh god. What did I do? I must have made her feel horrible. I have got to find her and explain myself.

_Hotaru POV_

_Why in the hell did I do that? It's been ten years. Whatever thing you thought you two had is gone. Long gone. B-but he was so cute! But the look on his face...Oh god what did I do?_ Still dealing with my inner turmoil, I didn't notice that I was about to be run over by a guy with a book in his hand. Falling on my ass was not what I had in mind for today. "Hey watch it asshole!" Looking up, I noticed very litle of his face was showing, just his eye. Even with very little facial features showing, I could tell he was just as shocked as I was. His shockingly white hair stood up like he stuck his finger in a light socket and went out the door like that. He smiled through what I think is a mask apologizing about how he was destracted on the path of life. Getting a quick peek at the cover of the book made me think otherwise. _Icha Icha Paradise? Isn't that the porn book by the creepy old guy? Jiraiya I think. Geez, definite creep. Oh crap he's staring at me. Get your ass off the ground. _I jumped up before I looked like an even bigger idiot. "You ok?" He said. My face flushed. "Y-yeah. Just got a lot on my mind. Well, bye!"

_Normal POV_

"KAKASHI! MY GREATEST RIVAL!" A voice shouted from nowhere. Turning everywhere, Hotaru covered her head as a green blur jumped over her and in front of the silver haired man, apparently called Kakashi. The blur was Lee's teacher, Might Gai. He didn't seem to notice Hotaru while going on about a match against this Kakashi guy. It was funny to watch this man go on about "the bloom of youth" and their eternal rivalry. A sudden pang hit her heart when she remembered what happened between her and Lee. Hotaru turned to walk away saddened by the loss of her only friend in this town when Gai finally noticed her presence. "Hey there, Lee's little friend! Hokaru? Potaru? Utah? Rotary?" Hotaru giggled at Gai not remembering her name before speaking. "_Hotaru_. You almost had it. And...Lee and I aren't exactly friends anymore. We kind of hit a rough patch at the moment." It hurt her to say those words but she felt it was true. She ruined them with a kiss.

Gai placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I've watched Lee grow up to be a very special young man. But one thing never changed. The way he talked about you. He always said you were beautiful. A firecracker that exploded with energy. The one thing he always remembered when talking about you was your hair." As if to make his point, he took a strand of her hair in his hand, looking at it like he was examining every bit of it, not wanting to forget the texture or how the sun hit it just right. Hotaru blushed slightly, thinking of the way Lee used to play with her hair when they were little. Gai's roughened calloused hands touched her cheek. "Whatever happened between you two, can be fixed. I don't want to see my favorite student lose the most special person he's ever had the pleasure to meet, other than me." With that, he gave her his Nice Guy Pose and turned his attention back to Kakashi, who was shocked to see a soft side to Gai that didn't end in him crying manly tears and running into a sunset that wasn't there. Hotaru knew what she had to do. All she needed now was to find Lee.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry I took forever to upload. I was suffering from writers block and the heat of summer. xD I don't own Naruto, just Hotaru. :3 Enjoyz!

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The door of Lee's apartment creaked As Hotaru tried to quietly creep in, hoping to catch Lee in his room. Everything seemed too quiet for a guy who loudly spoke of life. He must've left in search of her. Hotaru sighed. She felt like this whole thing was her fault. It _was _her fault. If she hadn't kissed him, if she had just let things be. Trying not to cry, Hotaru turned to look around the apartment. It was small, but seemed kind of roomy. He had a couch, a bookshelf, and some pictures on the wall. She looked closer and realized that they were photos of him and his team. There was even a few of the two of them as kids. Lee looked so young and full of life. He had grown up to be something truly special. Staring at the photos, Hotaru felt butterflies wake up in the pit of her stomach. As much as she wanted to, she just couldn't deny her feelings. She, Hotaru Akemi, was head over heels in love with the crazy, emotional, sweet Rock Lee. The sparks that flew during the brief kiss confirmed it. A smile slipped on her lips as memories of the two of them hit over and over again.

Hotaru didn't notice when the door slowly opened and Lee walking in to see her staring at the photos. She seemed lost in her thoughts until he lightly touched her shoulder, smiling when her beautiful blue-grey eyes met his. It took all the ounce of ninja training he had to not take her in his arms as she whispered, "I-I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me with that kiss. I just..I guess I just always liked you, I just never realized it until now. I understand you don't feel the same way so I'll pack up and find a hotel to stay at in the morning." Grabbing Hotaru's hand as she turned, Lee firmly pressed his lips against hers in a rough yet gentle kiss, pulling her closer. Hotaru's heart leaped about fifty feet in her throat as she returned the kiss with equal gentleness. His arms found their way around her waist, pressing her ever closer as he swiped his tongue across her lower lip, begging for entrance. Slowly letting him, Hotaru couldn't believe it was real when they finally broke the kiss. Lee's eyes were intense as he shakingly spoke. "Hotaru, I can not tell you how long I have waited to hear those words from you. Please do not leave. I want you to stay. Please tell me you will?" Hotaru's hands shook as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before nodding. Lee's happiness showed as he picked up his love and swung her around, laughing like he hadn't in a long time and Hotaru squeeling for him to put her down.

Swinging her on the couch, Lee went to kissing every inch of her exposed skin he could get to, not wanting this moment to end. _Damn, I never thought Lee could be this passionate. Of course, I haven't seen him since we were nine, so what would I know?_ Any other thought Hotaru had after that was wiped away when the beautiful green beast of Konoha pressed his hard body closer, receiving a groan from the redhead underneath him. "Hotaru, am I hurting you?" Lee whispered between kissing her lips and her jawline. "N-no. I'm ok. Lee, can I ask you something?" Hotaru lightly pushed against his chest trying not to move her hands down his abs. He sat up quickly, saluting her. "Yosh. Anything my love." Hotaru's heart fluttered. "Are you..do you want to...can we..." She cursed herself for getting so nervous. Lee took her hand in his and kissed her blushing cheeks. "I understand. We can wait." Hotaru smiled as she gripped his hands. "It's not you. I just..had a bad experience with an ex-boyfriend. Thank you for understanding, Lee." Leaning back, Lee laid on the couch pulling Hotaru into his arms, wishing they could stay like this forever.

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Le gasp! Will there be news about this ex-boyfriend? What "bad experience" happened? Rape? Abuse? Who knows but me right? Hehehe. I know its shorty short but I promise I will dive deeper into Leetaru later!


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